[Duece71]

Thank you OP for the write up. Very informative. I have seen quite a few of these QX80s with the rear sag and always wondered what was going on. I figured there might be a heavy load in the back.

 

[Duece71]

Welp, a year after I posted in this thread…..the SAG has happened! It is noticeable. 2015 QX80 Limited, 86k on the clock. I could sometimes hear the compressor running but can’t hear it anymore. I drove it yesterday with my son, we took a route that had speed bumps and the ride over the speed bumps was very different. It felt like the truck was just resting on the rear springs. There was definitely no “bounce” or several bounces after driving over the speed bumps. I think the shocks may not be the culprit. Does the air leveling system effect ride or give a firmer ride?

 

[Duece71]

No pressurized air in the airbags does affect the ride and the whole rear sits lower that it should. The shock nominal height is now only controlled by the spring and there is no aided support from the shocks leveling so the shock sits more compressed than it should.

I would start with the compressor change and re-assess. There are still good deals on Amazon for $160. I am debating if I should buy a spare now...for good measure.

Yes, the ride quality has definitely changed. The rear is squatting a bit more, not as bad as some QX80s is see rolling around. Compressor change out coming up.

 

[Duece71]

Yes, the ride quality has definitely changed. The rear is squatting a bit more, not as bad as some QX80s is see rolling around. Compressor change out coming up.

Update….
I changed out the compressor with an OEM unit, solved the problem completely. I can hear the compressor running for a short time. I was prepared to buy both rear shocks from Infiniti just in case I had a leak in one or both airbags. Each shock was priced differently….right was $1100 plus tax and the left was $1200 and change plus tax. There are 2 different part numbers, one for each shock. Pretty pricey. Now on to fix the drivers seat……

 

[Duece71]

I have a 2007 Armada with the rear air leveling and ended up replacing basically the entire mechanical system with OEM at ~110k.

Some interesting findings I wanted to share:
- From when I bought the truck brand new, it would lose height on cold days when left over night. Every morning the compressor would kick on and bring it back to level. This stopped once I replaced everything and the system no longer lost air.

- What started the project was the back end was REALLY bouncy. Like dangerous bouncy on the highway. Although the rear shock air bags would fill, the internal shocks themselves were dead. When I took them off I could compress the left side between my hands and it stayed compressed! So shocks wear out despite the air bag condition.

- When I went to replace the shocks, the air lines to them were fused on so much so I had to destroy them to get them off. That ended up causing me to replace the air lines as well (I'm in the North East and get a lot of road salt).

- The final piece was when I replaced the compressor. The old one was still "sort of" working but the new one worked much better.

- I put a thick grease around the air line connections to the shocks and compressor in hopes to delay future corrosion.

Since then, everything is working as it should. The compressor rarely kicks on as the air is staying in the system.

Though if I end up having to do it again, I will likely just replace for a non-air system as these things are just prone to problems as they get older. That involves different shocks and springs but a lot of members on the Armada board have done it and happy with the results.

Oh and Arnott products are pretty much garbage so I would stay away and stick with Infiniti or Nissan (which you can often get the same exact part at a much cheaper price.

Fluid Film is great for preventing rust. Smells awful but it works!